cabinet

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Cabinet has approved the National Sanitation Policy 2016 for implementation. Before the introduction of the policy, South Africa had no single, substantive policy regulating sanitation provision, leaving implementation haphazard and without basic standards.

Matriculants, who are currently receiving a social grant and are accepted at higher learning institutions, will no longer go through a means test to qualify for financial aid. Children living in child- and youth-headed households will also be exempted from the means test.

Over 800 million male condoms and over 20 million female condoms were distributed in the last financial year, while the HIV testing campaign saw 35 million HIV tests done over the five-year period.

The Department of Social Development, in partnership with Vodacom, has launched the Gender Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) Disability Enhancement System to enable those who are deaf and blind to access the services of the centre. The Disability Enhancement System includes the use of a Skype line for deaf victims, where they can communicate with trained social auxiliary workers to send a message. The two social auxiliary workers at the GBVCC are proficient in the use of Sign Language. Deaf people can also text a message to the centre number 0800 428 428 to report a crime.

92.5% of households have access to improved drinking water sources, according to the General Household Survey Series VIII: Water and Sanitation, 2002-2016 report. The Western Cape, Free State, Northern Cape and Gauteng provinces have almost universal access to improved drinking sources. Nationally, 1.2% of households reported using the bucket toilet system with the Western Cape recording the highest percentage (4%) of households using the bucket toilet system, followed by Free State (2.7%), and Northern Cape (2.4%).

Initiated and managed by the Department of Basic Education, Kha Ri Gude programme enables adult learners to read, write and calculate in their mother tongue in line with the Unit Standards for Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet) Level One and also to learn spoken English. The campaign makes specific efforts to target vulnerable groups. In 2011, 80% of the learners were women, 8% people with disabilities, 25% were youth, and 20% were above the age of 60.

Minister Motsoaledi said in the public sector in South Africa, 38 000 children under the age of five die each year. The Minister said of the 11 000 babies that die in the first month of life, about 3 000 deaths per year are due to prematurity.

Final approval of the White Paper on International Migration is planned for March 2017, and will include the “First Safe Country” principle that will assist in managing refugees and asylum seekers.

Umalusi has taken a decision not to issue certificates to learners who are enrolled at independent schools that are not accredited by the council. The decision was informed by the need for all independent schools to be accredited by Umalusi before they can offer qualifications that fall within the council’s mandate.

From April 2015 to end September 2016, the NPA obtained a 93% conviction rate in the high courts, while in the regional and district courts, the conviction rates were 80% and 95% respectively. The conviction rate for complex commercial crime cases stood at 91.5%, while convictions in sexual offence cases stood at 71.5% over the same period.

A discussion document outlining proposals for comprehensive social security reform was released at Nedlac. Read the full document here: http://www.gov.za/sites/www.gov.za/files/Comprehensive_Social_Security_in_South_Africa.pdf

The 2016 Civic Protest Barometer (CPB), published by the Dullah Omar Institute measures trends in protest action in South Africa's municipalities. Interesting outcomes include the following:

In 2009 South Africa experienced a total of 204 civic protests, whereas in 2015 civic protests decreased to 126
Gauteng is the most protest-prone province in South Africa
More than half of all protests took place in metropolitan municipalities
More than 90% of civic protests are associated with violence and intimidation.

Read the document here: http://dullahomarinstitute.org.za/news/civic-protests-and-local-government-in-south-africa-the-civic-protests-barometer-2007-2016